Atlanta 19, Miami 7

Matt Ryan threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 19-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the season-opener for a pair of surprising 2008 playoff teams at the Georgia Dome. Tony Gonzalez, in his first game with the Falcons after 12 outstanding years with Kansas City, caught five passes for 73 yards and a score in the victory. Michael Turner ran for 65 yards for Atlanta (1-0), which rebounded from a 4-12 finish in 2007 with an 11-5 turnaround and a wild card berth in 2008. Miami's about-face was even better last year, winning the AFC East at 11-5 in the first year under Tony Sparano after a 1-15 disaster in 2007. The Dolphins (0-1) committed just 13 turnovers last season, but on Sunday gave it away four times. Chad Pennington completed 21-of-29 passes for 176 yards in defeat, throwing one touchdown pass and one interception. He was also sacked four times and fumbled once. Miami tight end Anthony Fasano fumbled after each of his two receptions. The Wildcat offense that the Dolphins introduced to the NFL last season produced just three yards on four plays.

Baltimore 38, Kansas City 24

Joe Flacco threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Mark Clayton with 2:06 to play, and Willis McGahee added his second TD of the day to sew up the Baltimore Ravens' 38-24 win over the feisty Kansas City Chiefs in the regular season opener for both teams from M&T Bank Stadium. Flacco led a rare offensive assault for the defensive-minded Ravens (1-0), with Baltimore's 501 yards of total offense marking a single-game franchise record. The second-year quarterback out of Delaware completed 26-of-43 passes for 307 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, breaking a 24-24 tie with the deep scoring lob to Clayton. Ray Rice led the ground game with 19 carries for 108 yards. Brodie Croyle, subbing for the injured Matt Cassel (knee) finished 16-of-24 passing for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but the running game led by Larry Johnson's 20 yards on 11 carries generated a mere 29 yards for the Chiefs (0-1).

Philadelphia 38, Carolina 10

Donovan McNabb accounted for three touchdowns in Philadelphia's 38-10 drubbing of Carolina in the season opener, but it was his rushing TD in the third quarter that may cost the Eagles down the road. McNabb fractured a rib trying to run over Panthers cornerback Richard Marshall. The QB walked off the field under his own power but exited toward the locker room shortly thereafter. The events overshadowed a dominating effort for the Eagles (1-0), who last season lost their fourth NFC Championship Game this decade. Brian Westbrook didn't show signs of offseason ankle surgery, rushing for 64 yards on 13 carries and catching a touchdown. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who took over for the late Jim Johnson, had a strong showing in his first game, as his unit forced seven turnovers, recorded five sacks and held the Panthers to 169 yards. Jake Delhomme, fresh off signing a contract extension this offseason, had a forgettable start for Carolina (0-1), throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble that resulted in an Eagles touchdown. The veteran signal-caller finished 7-for-17 for 73 yards and was benched midway through the third quarter for Josh McCown, whose knee injury forced the team to use emergency QB Matt Moore. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were held to 37 and 35 yards, respectively. Williams scored the only TD for the defending NFC South champion Panthers, who won all eight of their regular-season home games in 2008.

Denver 12, Cincinnati 7

Brandon Stokley grabbed a tipped pass off a Cincinnati defender's hands and sprinted the distance for an 87-yard touchdown with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter as the Denver Broncos shocked the Bengals, 12-7, in the season opener for both teams at Paul Brown Stadium. Kyle Orton's underthrown pass was batted in the air by Leon Hall, and Stokley picked the ball out of mid-air and sprinted down the sideline, but before crossing the goal line, the heads-up wide receiver slowed down to deliberately take extra time off the clock. After the two-point conversion failed, Denver was up 12-7. Carson Palmer's desperation heave on the final play of the game was intercepted by Tony Scheffler as time expired. Orton, who was acquired along with two first-round draft picks from Chicago for Jay Cutler in the offseason, passed for 243 yards on 17-of-28 efficiency. Matt Prater connected on two field goals for Denver (1-0), which finished the 2008 season with an 8-8 record. Correll Buckhalter rushed for 46 yards on eight carries and Daniel Graham had three catches for 40 yards in the win. It marked the first career win for 32-year-old head coach Josh McDaniels, who took over for the fired Mike Shanahan. Palmer, who missed the majority of the 2008 campaign with a torn ligament in his throwing elbow, finished 21- of-33 for 247 yards and two interceptions. Chad Ochocinco had five receptions for 89 yards, while Benson rushed for 76 yards and a score for the Bengals (0-1), who ended last season at 4-11-1.

Minnesota 34, Cleveland 20

Adrian Peterson ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns and Brett Favre threw a touchdown pass to rookie wideout Percy Harvin, as the Vikings started out a very different 2009 season with a convincing 34-20 win over Cleveland. Favre was a bit rusty early on, mostly completing underneath routes to members of the backfield and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. The grizzled veteran finished 14-of-21 for 110 yards and a six-yard TD toss to Harvin, who made three catches for 36 yards. Peterson, though, stole the show with a bruising 64-yard scoring run late in the fourth quarter after a pair of short TDs early on for the Vikings (1-0), who ended a three-year playoff drought in 2008. Minnesota wasn't the only team with a quarterback storyline heading into Sunday as Brady Quinn led Cleveland's offense, ending a rather poorly kept secret of who would quarterback the Browns in the opener. First-year head coach Eric Mangini, who guided the Jets and Favre last season before being dismissed, chose to keep his decision secret until gametime, although the former Notre Dame standout could be seen leading the first-team offense in practice during the week. The clandestine strategy did little to bolster a stagnant offense as Quinn ended 21-for-35 with 205 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception for Cleveland (0-1).

NY Jets 24, Houston 7

Mark Sanchez enjoyed a solid pro debut, completing 18-of-31 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown as the New York Jets shut down Houston, 24-7, in the season-opener for both teams from Reliant Stadium. Thomas Jones had 107 rushing yards and two scores on 20 attempts for the Jets (1-0), who gave Rex Ryan a victory in his head coaching debut. Jerricho Cotchery had six receptions for 90 yards, Dustin Keller hauled in four balls for 94 yards and Chansi Stuckey caught four for 64 yards and a TD. Matt Schaub struggled under center, throwing for 166 yards on 18-of-33 attempts with an interception for the Texans (0-1), who were 8-8 a season ago. Owen Daniels caught four balls for 44 yards, but Steve Slaton was limited to 17 rushing yards on nine attempts.

Indianapolis 14, Jacksonville 12

Peyton Manning threw for 301 yards and a key third-quarter touchdown to Reggie Wayne, as Indianapolis took a 14-12 win over Jacksonville in the debut of new Colts head coach Jim Caldwell. Manning completed 28-of-38 passes and was intercepted once, while Wayne caught 10 passes for 162 yards. The Colts (1-0) notched the win in the debut of Caldwell, who took over for longtime head coach Tony Dungy after serving as the team's associate head coach. Caldwell has big shoes to fill in regards to Dungy, who compiled an 85-27 record in seven years at the helm of the Colts, a span that included a Super Bowl title following the 2006 season. Joseph Addai ran 17 times for 42 yards and score in the victory, Indianapolis' 10th in a row in the regular season. The Colts haven't dropped a regular season contest since October 27 of last year, against Tennessee. Maurice Jones-Drew had 21 carries for 97 yards and the only touchdown for the Jaguars (0-1), who are coming off a 5-11 season in 2008. David Garrard completed 14-of-28 passes for 122 yards in the setback.

New Orleans 45, Detroit 27

Drew Brees continued where he left off from last season as he threw a career-high six touchdowns for New Orleans while Detroit continued where it left off from a year ago as the Saints defeated the Lions, 45-27, in the season opener at the Superdome. Brees, the 2008 offensive player of the year, went 26-for-34 with 358 yards and a pick for the Saints (1-0), who finished last season 8-8. Brees threw for 5,069 yards last season and fell just 15 yards shy of Dan Marino's record for a single season. Jeremy Shockey caught two touchdowns while Devery Henderson hauled in five catches for 103 yards and a score for New Orleans, which has won its past two games against Detroit. Mike Bell had 28 carries for a career- high 143 yards in the win. Matthew Stafford, the first overall pick of this year's draft, had an inauspicious start as he was picked off three times and went 16-for-37 with 205 yards. However, he did have a rushing touchdown for the Lions (0-1), who are coming off the only 0-16 season in NFL history and have dropped their last 18 games. Kevin Smith had a rushing touchdown while Calvin Johnson added three catches for 90 yards for Detroit, which has also dropped 13 straight road games. Detroit coach Jim Schwartz made his NFL coaching debut.

Dallas 34, Tampa Bay 21

Tony Romo threw for a career-high 353 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-27 passing to lead the Dallas Cowboys past the Buccaneers, 34-21, spoiling the head coaching debut of Tampa Bay's Raheem Morris in the season-opener for both teams. Marion Barber added 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries for the Cowboys (1-0), who finished last season at 9-7 and will host the Giants next week. Patrick Crayton tallied 135 yards and a TD on four catches. Roy Williams had three catches, going for 86 yards and a score, while Miles Austin also had a 42-yard TD grab. Byron Leftwich went 25-of-41 for 276 yards and a touchdown for the Bucs (0-1), who finished last season 9-7 and will play at Buffalo next week. Carnell Williams totaled 97 yards and a TD on 13 carries, while Derrick Ward amassed 62 yards and a score on 12 carries. Kellen Winslow had a touchdown catch in the setback, while Michael Clayton gained 93 yards on five catches.

San Francisco 20, Arizona 16

Frank Gore scored a total of two touchdowns, including the eventual game-winning TD catch halfway through the fourth quarter, as the San Francisco 49ers hung on to beat the Arizona Cardinals, 20-16, in the season opener for both clubs at University of Phoenix Stadium. Gore rushed for 30 yards and a score on 22 carries for the 49ers, who finished the 2008 season with a 7-9 record. Gore also caught three passes for 18 yards and a score. Shaun Hill completed 18-of-31 passes for 209 yards and a TD. Isaac Bruce led the receiving corps with 74 yards on four catches. Kurt Warner connected on 26-of-44 passes for 288 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown for the Cardinals, who ended last season with a gut-wrenching loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLIII. Tim Hightower caught 12 passes for 121 yards to go along with 15 rushing yards. Larry Fitzgerald caught a TD pass, and Beanie Wells rushed for 29 yards on seven carries in defeat.

NY Giants 23, Washington 17

Lawrence Tynes hit all three of his field goal attempts and Eli Manning tossed for 256 yards and a touchdown, as the Giants began their post-Plaxico Burress era with a 23-17 win over Washington in a feisty NFC East battle. Manning had an interception and lost a fumble but was 20-of-29 while spreading the ball around to his new-look receiving core. Steve Smith led the club with six grabs for 80 yards, and Mario Manningham added three receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown for the reigning division-champion Giants (1-0). Ahmad Bradshaw led New York with 60 yards on 12 carries, and Osi Umenyiora returned from a one-year absence with a forced fumble he turned into a 37- yard return for a touchdown. Jason Campbell threw for a pedestrian 211 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 19-of-26 efficiency for the Redskins (0-1), whose offense Sunday looked eerily similar to the unproductive unit that stumbled to a 2-6 record over the second half last year. Chris Cooley ended with seven catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, while Clinton Portis was held to 62 yards on 16 carries.

Seattle 28, St. Louis 0

Matt Hasselbeck overcame some early turnovers to throw for three touchdowns, as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the St. Louis Rams, 28-0, in the season-opener for a pair of clubs looking to erase the memories of disappointing seasons with new head coaches patrolling the sidelines. Hasselbeck completed 25-of-36 attempts for 279 yards and two interceptions for the Seahawks (1-0), who gave Jim Mora, Jr. a victory in his coaching debut. Seattle posted a 4-12 record last year under Mike Holmgren. John Carlson caught six passes for 95 yards and two scores, Nate Burleson had 74 yards on seven receptions, including a touchdown, and newcomer T.J. Houshmandzadeh hauled in six balls for 48 yards. Julius Jones ran 19 times for 117 yards and a score for Seattle, which posted its biggest opening-game victory since a 38-0 rout at Philadelphia in 1998. Marc Bulger struggled under center, throwing for 191 yards on 17-of-36 efficiency for St. Louis (0-1), which closed out the 2008 campaign on a 10-game slide and finished 2-14. Steven Jackson gained 67 yards on 16 carries.

Green Bay 21, Chicago 15

After seven of the Packers' 10 losses in 2008 came by four points or less, Aaron Rodgers made sure history wouldn't repeat itself, throwing a 50-yard go-ahead touchdown strike to Greg Jennings with 1:11 remaining to propel Green Bay to a 21-15 victory over the rival Chicago Bears and spoil Jay Cutler's debut with his new team. Rodgers finished with 184 yards and the lone score on 17-of-28 passing without throwing an interception for the Packers (1-0), whose aforementioned bad luck contributed to a 6-10 finish last season. Jennings caught six passes for 106 yards and the go-ahead tally, while Ryan Grant added 61 yards and a touchdown on the ground in 16 carries.The big story for the Packers was their new-look 3-4 defense under new coordinator Dom Capers. Capers' group kept Cutler to under 50 percent on his pass attempts -- 17-for-36 -- and held Matt Forte to 55 yards on 25 carries. Last season, Forte became the second player in league history to post 1,000 rushing yards and 60 receptions in his rookie year, but the Tulane product didn't register a catch in the contest. Cutler, who finished with 277 yards through the air and a career-high four interceptions, did throw one touchdown pass -- a 36-yard strike to Devin Hester, who finished with four catches for 90 yards. But the Bears (0-1), who nearly made the playoffs last season with a 9-7 record, couldn't hold Green Bay in the end.